


See What You Don't

by fishfingersandjellybabies



Category: Batman (Comics), Nightwing (Comics)
Genre: Gen, post nightwing 17
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-17
Updated: 2017-03-17
Packaged: 2018-10-06 11:15:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10333421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishfingersandjellybabies/pseuds/fishfingersandjellybabies
Summary: Damian hated clones. Especially clones of himself. But…this one might not be so bad.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I had a lot of feelings about Danesh the Robin Dollotron. I hope someone adopts him and he’s happy and safe. After Nightwing 17 and all this stuff, obviously. It’s trash but who gives a shit, I don’t. I got hit with like a million post Nightwing 17 and Super Sons 2 ideas, so we just getting started. I originally was gonna have Jon make an appearance in here too, dragging Bruce by his ear more or less but. Maybe another time, haha.

Damian glanced across the old building. Grayson and his girlfriend were reunited. They’d gotten there in time. Pyg was taken down. She was safe. He was happy.

That’s all that mattered.

He sighed, finally recognizing the exhaustion settling into his bones. He could rest now. Grayson no doubt wanted to speak with his woman after all, and he’d be unneeded.

Well. More unneeded than he already was, of course.

He shuffled over to the wall, and leaned against it before sliding downwards. His head was throbbing, the blood was becoming sticky as it dried – he probably gave himself a concussion.

It probably didn’t matter.

He closed his eyes and leaned his face against his knees, hoping for a quick nap. That was all he needed, then he’d be heading back to the Titans, where he can forget all about his so-called brother and everything to do with this.

But then suddenly he sensed someone next to him. And before he could move, they were sliding down the wall as well, and bumping their shoulder against him.

Damian steeled himself. Surely it was Grayson, wanting to have one of his idiotic heart-to-hearts.

“I know what you’re thinking, you know.” The other hummed. It wasn’t Grayson, not at all. And when he looked up, he found his mangled double. The other Robin. The one Pyg made.

“No you don’t.” Damian snapped. “Because you are _not_ me, no matter what Pyg or that idiot Deathwing told you.”

“But I’m you enough.” The other said. He tried to smile, and it came out lopsided. “And even if I’m not, I have eyes. I can _see_.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You and Dick Grayson. The real one.” He motioned to Dick, who was still speaking with Shawn. “He…cares for you. And you care for him.”

Damian glanced at his clone for a moment, before sighing again. “Your real name…Danesh, right?” The other hesitated, but nodded slowly. “…Danesh. I’m sure you mean well, but…you shouldn’t talk about things you don’t know about. My relationship with Grayson included.”

“But I _do_ know about it.” Danesh pushed. “I told you, I have eyes, I can see it.”

Damian waited.

“I can see how much you love him.” Danesh pushed. “And I can also see how much you _think_ he doesn’t love you back.”

And he couldn’t help it: “Well do you blame me?!”

“No…” Danesh looked across the room. “But…I just think you should know you’re wrong.”

Damian huffed, leaning his head against his knees. “Spare me, creature.”

“Well, you _are_.” Danesh said simply, and it annoyed Damian. Is this _really_ what he sounded like?  No wonder no one liked him.

“Look, I know what I’m talking about.” Damian countered harshly. “Your _Deathwing_ said it himself. He and Grayson are the same, and they _feel_ the same. Deathwing tried to kill me. Grayson is just too kind to actually try to do so himself.”

“No.” Danesh said, a little more firmly. Damian paused before looking up at him once more. “Deathwing…he is the copy, you know that. He was also created by Pyg.”

“…Your point?”

Danesh huffed, scrunched his face, thinking over his words. For a moment, he reminded Damian of Todd’s new friend. The not-Superman. Bizarre-Man or…something.

“…Pyg took all of your brother’s bad qualities. That’s all he _wanted_.” Danesh said finally. “I will not refute that Dick Grayson might feel some annoyance at you, or that he did at one point. I’m saying they’re barely there. They’re minor, comparatively. Much more minor than Deathwing made them seem.”

Damian looked away, momentarily glanced at Dick. He was hugging his girlfriend now.

“He loves you. A lot. More than he loves most people.” Danesh said definitively. “And I know he does. I can _see_ it. But even if I couldn’t, I’d still know. Because…when Pyg made Deathwing. He had to…well. I’ll spare you the details, but Pyg attempted many copies of Dick Grayson before he got to Deathwing. Had to keep destroying them because they were too kind, too compassionate. And always asked for _you_.”

“…What?”

“‘Where’s my brother? Where’s Robin? Where’s Damian? What have you done to him!’” Danesh mimicked. “I was created to quell his creations’ minds while he continued testing the rest of their qualities. If they didn’t meet his satisfaction then he normally just killed them. Until Deathwing, that is. Then Deathwing hated my very existence and everything to do with me, and was deemed a success.”

“…And you a failure.” And what had Deathwing said? “A _mistake_.”

Danesh nodded.

“I had too much of the real you in me, I guess.” Danesh tried to smile, but it didn’t work. Only one side of his face reacted. “And Pyg never wanted a Robin copy. Deathwing didn’t want a partner. But I wasn’t hurting anything, and seemed to keep the others of Pyg’s victims calm while they were in pain, so. He kept me around.”

“I…see.” Damian whispered. “I’m…sorry you had to endure this.”

Danesh shrugged.

“You’re safe now, though. I won’t let Pyg hurt you again. _Ever_ again.” Damian promised. “…What did you say before? That your father was a truck driver?”

“I…” Danesh narrowed his eyes, scratched at his head. “I think so.”

“Then we’ll find your father.” Damian nodded. “We’ll find your family, and get you any of the help you need.”

“…Thank you.” Danesh gave that half-smile again. “Thank you very much, Damian Wayne.”

And Damian, for the first time since this adventure started, felt happy enough to smile back.

He didn’t get to for long, though, because without warning, there was someone dropping in front of the two of them, and hands grabbing and turning Damian’s face.

“How you feeling, kiddo?” Dick asked gently, running his thumbs first along Damian’s cheeks, and then across his battered and bloody forehead. “Is this as painful as it looks?”

Damian shrugged.

“Ah, the telltale Damian Wayne symbol for _yes_. Good.” Dick chuckled, leaning forward and leaving a careful kiss to a less bloody spot on Damian’s hairline. Damian felt his cheeks heat up, but before he could acknowledge it, he found himself being scooped up into Dick’s arms, and the elder standing. “Come on. Shawn said she knew where some bandages were and went off to find them.”

Damian didn’t struggle in the hold. Just watched Dick reach a hand out to Danesh, who took it, stood, and clung to it. Dick just smiled at him, obviously not bothered in the least, and began walking across the room.

“Should she be moving so much?” Damian asked. “She just experienced major trauma. And if she’s pregnant, then surely the stress is not good for the bab-”

“We can worry about that later. Even Shawn agrees.” Dick cut off. “It’s kind of silly. This whole situation, and you’re the only one who actually got hurt, Robin. So now that we know Shawn is safe, let’s just focus on getting you fixed up before worrying about the rest of that. Okay?”

It was avoidance, Damian knew, and also a lie – because Grayson had gotten slashed across his back, and his own forehead – but he didn’t argue. He just pursed his lips and looked away, accidentally finding himself looking down at Danesh, and his strange half-smile.

“See?” Danesh whispered as Dick called out to Shawn, who was already jogging back towards them. “I told you he loved you.”

And in this moment…even the darkest corners of Damian’s mind couldn’t argue against that. So he didn’t try. Just hid his face against Dick’s throat, and hung onto him as tightly as he could.


End file.
